Monday, December 21, 2015

FDA To Adjust Blood Donation Policy For Gay/Bisexual Men

According to the Associated Press, the Food and Drug Administration has decided to change it's decades-old policy for banning blood donations from gay or bisexual men.

The new policy will allow gay/bisexual men to donate as long as they haven't had sex with a man in the past 365 days. This would be more in line with other countries like the United Kingdom and Australia.

Activists say the change is definitely a step in the right direction, but still falls short.

"This new policy prevents men from donating life-saving blood based solely on their sexual orientation rather than actual risk to the blood supply," said David Stacy, HRC's Government Affairs Director.

"While it's a step in the right direction toward an ideal policy that reflects the best scientific research, it still falls far short of a fully acceptable solution because it continues to stigmatize gay and bisexual men. It simply cannot be justified in light of current scientific research and updated blood screening technology.

"We are committed to working towards an eventual outcome that both minimizes risk to the blood supply and treats gay and bisexual men with the respect they deserve.”